


Unfortunate Names

by ncfan



Series: The House of Finwë in the Years of the Trees [32]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Childhood, Gen, Names
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-12
Updated: 2013-06-12
Packaged: 2017-12-14 18:43:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/840130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ncfan/pseuds/ncfan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Artanis wasn't fond of her mother-name.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unfortunate Names

Artanis was not fond of her newly-assigned mother-name, no matter how apt Eärwen might have thought it, considering that Artanis even as a young elleth was quite tall and promised to be even taller as an adult. If her mother wished to give her a mother-name that signified her height, than Artanis did not see why she could not have been given the name 'Hallawen' or something like that. She didn't have to call her 'Nerwen.'

For love of her mother, Artanis would not voice her dissatisfaction with the name Eärwen had bestowed upon her. Eärwen was gentle, and Artanis, even at her young age, already had the feeling that she herself was not, and that her tongue would cut open her mother's skin in such a situation. She knew that Eärwen had meant well.

In all honesty, though, Artanis could have done without a mother-name like Nerwen. She could very well have done without a mother-name that meant 'man-maiden,' both because she certainly didn't _feel_ like a male of any species, and because she knew exactly what the reactions of her siblings and cousins, and possibly her friends as well, would be when they found out about her new mother-name.

And she was right, too.

Findaráto and the oldest of her cousins were mostly alright; Findaráto, in fact, had no reaction whatsoever other than to calmly congratulate her, and this only cemented Artanis's opinion that he was without a doubt her favorite brother. Artanis caught Maitimo and Findekáno both do something resembling a double-take. Irissë, Artanis's only female cousin, though they were not at all close thanks to the large age-gap between them, gave a discreet grimace of sympathy. Her friends, knowing quite well how Artanis could get, made no comment on their friend's new mother-name.

On the other hand, Aikanáro snorted and Arakáno nearly laughed, until he caught the hard gleam in his cousin's green eyes. The Ambarussa, the only ones of Artanis's cousins who were younger than her, were less concerned over their cousin's wrath, and burst out laughing upon learning that their cousin had been named Nerwen. For the next few days, whenever they saw her they would bring up the matter of her having been named 'man-maiden' by her mother with great glee.

So, steps had to be taken.

Artanis made it quite clear to her siblings and cousins that she did not want to hear any mockery over her mother's choice of name. Her brothers and Nolofinwë's children understood this well enough, and reminding the Ambarussa that their mother's name also had 'ner' in it, and what Nerdanel had attempted to name _them_ after their father had convinced her that they couldn't both have the same name, was enough to make them be quiet, if only out of sheer embarrassment. She firmly told her friends that continuing to be called Artanis would do fine.

As for Eärwen, Artanis explained it away as preferring the name that she had always been called by before. No need to upset her.

**Author's Note:**

> Artanis, Nerwen = Galadriel  
> Findaráto = Finrod  
> Maitimo = Maedhros  
> Findekáno = Fingon  
> Irissë = Aredhel  
> Aikanáro = Aegnor  
> Arakáno = Argon  
> The Ambarussa = Amrod and Amras  
> Nolofinwë = Fingolfin


End file.
